About

Founded in 2012, the Old Ballard Liquor Co. is a nano-distillery in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, focused on the production of a Scandinavian digestif called Aquavit. Since aquavit is the primary product, a wide variety of Swedish, Danish and Norwegian styles are available, with the largest variety of up to ten different aquavits on sale each December.

In 2016, a small 12-seat cafe was carved out of the production space, where visitors can enjoy house made contemporary Scandinavian dishes and small aquavit shots and cocktails. Contact us directly for reservations.

FAQ

What is Old Ballard?

Old Ballard is the historic portion of the Ballard Neighborhood of Seattle. More importantly, it's a culture. Old Ballard embodies midcentury Scandinavian-American Blue-Collar values like simplicity, honesty, pragmatism, hard work, and humility. Also drinking and fighting, but we don't fight much these days.

Do you make Whiskey?

No, we think there's enough out there already. Try something else for a change.

Do you ship products?

Yes and no. Shipping is complicated due to the differences in state liquor laws. Washington State residents can receive direct shipments. Out of state shipments are restricted to stores, bars or restaurants. Contact the distillery if you would like to place an order for shipping.

Aquavit

Aquavit (AH-kwa-veet or AH-ka-veet) is a caraway-flavored Scandinavian digestif meant to be sipped with a meal. Different Aquavits are paired with different seasonal foods. For example, our Riktig Aquavit pairs with rich, heavy meats like smoked lamb. None of our aquavits contain fennel, anise or licorice unless specifically mentioned. Also, we always have simple, traditional Aquavit glasses on hand for purchase. Aquavit educational classes are available upon request.

Cherry Bounce

Cherry Bounce is an old-fashioned, aged sour-cherry liqueur inspired by Colonial American recipes. A close cousin to Guignolet and Cherry Heering, it's rich and flavorful without being syrupy or overly sweet. We're proud to be the only American distiller making authentic Cherry Bounce.

Do you have a mailing list?

Yes, you can sign up here. Also check our Facebook page for product releases and updates.

Do you offer tours?

It's a small, simple space where everything is visible, so tours focus more on education than gawking at fancy equipment. Maximum size is 6-12 people per group, depending on the season.

Do you offer workshops?

We love education and are happy to offer workshops on a variety of subjects like distilling, product education, and distillery business plan development. Please contact us for more information.

Do you offer Internships?

Yes, we do. Internships area available for individuals looking to start their own small-scale distillery. The program is 3 months long and very intensive. Interns work in partnership with the owner/operator for a chance to learn every aspect of the distilling business including production, bottling, reporting, taxes, compliance, marketing, sales, event planning, PR, legal issues and business plan development. Because this is a true job-training internship and not just a floor-mopping job, interns are chosen very carefully, and only one at a time. Please contact us by email for more information.

Are you hiring?

As an extremely small business, we have to be incredibly cautious about new hires. If you're interested in a job, the best course of action is to come down and visit the shop to check it out.

Will you donate product to [XYZ]?

We get a lot of donation requests, and although we'd love to support everyone, we just can't. OBLC only donates to Ballard Neighborhood and Scandinavian Cultural entities. Please contact us by email for more information.